Financial Aid Award Paperwork

After we receive your application for aid and you are admitted to the University of Washington Bothell, we will send you an award letter if you are eligible, detailing the types and amount of aid for which you qualify. We start awarding in the spring before the next academic year begins. Please follow the checklist below to ensure that your aid will be ready for you when you start the school year.

You may receive a "Notice of Preliminary Award" which is an estimate of your eligibility for aid. If you accept this initial award, we will then complete the review of information you provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you receive a "Notice of Award," then your application has been reviewed and your eligibility confirmed. However, you must return the letter by the date indicated or accept your award online at MyUW, to reserve your aid. Please follow the instructions below to keep the process going:

1.) Set up your MyUW NetID Account

You will need to set up your MyUW NetID account as an admitted student in order to access your online Financial Aid award. To set up your UW NetID you will need your student ID number and Personal Access code (PAC) sent to you by the Admissions Office. If you no longer have your PAC, you may request another be sent to you by contacting the Office of the Registrar at 425-352-5240.

2.) View your Award Letter

After signing in to your MyUW NetID, click on the "Financial Aid Status" link. This may be located under the Student Services section on your MyUW account. Please note: it is not the financial aid link that goes to our website.

Read all information carefully on how to proceed.

3.) Check your Award Letter for errors

Check for errors in your address, social security number, and other information about you. Read the assumptions in Section II (state residency,* enrollment status, number of quarters you plan to attend this year). If you have a paper Award Letter, cross out incorrect information and write the correction next to it. If you are viewing your Award Letter online, make corrections in the box provided. If you will attend only part of the year (e.g., Autumn and Winter quarters only), so indicate.

* If you are not a Washington resident but pay resident tuition because of a departmental appointment or Armed Services status, note the tuition benefit in the other resources section of the award letter.

4.) Accept or reject each form of aid listed

You are under no obligation until aid is disbursed; you may accept an award now and change your mind later. But, if you reject an award, or if you don't return/ submit your acceptance letter, we will offer it to another student and may not be able to restore it later if you decide you need it after all.

*You may accept or reject aid from any fund without losing the other aid offered in your award letter. If you would like us to replace one kind of aid (e.g., Work Study) with another (e.g. a federal loan), then let us know that when you accept your award.

5.) Determine how much you want to borrow

You may be offered a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan or a Federal Direct PLUS Loan to help meet your financial need or if you are not eligible for need-based assistance. These loans do not include a federal subsidy, so interest begins to accrue after the loan proceeds have been disbursed to you, and repayment on the PLUS loan begins 60 days after the last disbursement. These loans should be used as a last resort in financing your education and require additional responsibilities from you, the borrower.

If you have been offered loans and you do not wish to borrow the full amount offered, you may indicate the reduced level to us. If you want to borrow more than we have offered, to replace your family contribution, please indicate the increased amount keeping in mind the annual loan maximums listed in the Student Loan Program Chart. To view additional information, please see Completing Paperwork for Loans.

You must report now any information about your resources (and, if married, your spouse's) that you have not already formally reported to our office. It is imperative that our office has current and complete information on your resources throughout the year; otherwise, you risk being over-awarded and having to repay aid.

7.) Understand your obligations as an aid recipient

In particular, make sure you understand your obligations to:

Enroll full-time each quarter and attend all your classes (12 credits for undergraduate and certification students) unless less than full-time attendance is specifically noted in your award letter.

If you do not accept it by this date, we will cancel your aid in order to offer it to another student. Accept your award in MyUW or mail your paper letter back to us. Once you respond, we will continue processing your application, and you may receive revised award letters reflecting changes in your contribution and your award. Review these revisions on MyUW and sign and accept or reject any new aid that has been offered to you.

Remember, accepting our aid offer is not the same as accepting your admissions offer. Please follow the instructions on your admission paperwork to accept your place at UWB.

9.) Complete your file

You must still respond to any requests we make for certification statements, tax returns, or any other documentation needed to finalize your award. Since we cannot disburse any funds until all required information is submitted and reviewed, please reply promptly to any correspondence from us.

10.) Review information on how to receive your aid

What comes next? Review our Receiving Aid page to find out when your aid will disburse, how to sign up for direct deposit, and what to do if you want your parent(s) to have access to your financial aid information.